College Basketball Best Bets for Friday, January 27th

To say that Friday’s college basketball slate leaves a lot to be desired would be an understatement. However, as we know, research and identification of trends can lead to money making opportunities regardless of the quality of the docket. Here are a couple NCAA Basketball betting opportunities for Friday’s roster of games!

Saint Louis Billikens (-1) at Davidson Wildcats

The Saint Louis Billikens had high expectations heading into the season, but those aspirations were quickly dashed as Travis Ford’s club did not exactly live up to those expectations. Losses to Iona and SIU Edwardsville are never a good look for a conference favorite, but this club has seemingly turned it around of late. The Billikens have won five consecutive games and stand at 6-1 in Atlantic Ten play.

Saint Louis has not been the best team to wager on against the spread this season, admittedly. The Billikens are just 3-3 against the anticipated margin on the season and have underperformed the number by -3.3 points per game which actually ranks just sixth worse in the Atlantic 10. That said, Saint Louis has covered the number in four of their last seven games and two of their last three during their current hot streak.

Despite Davidson’s history, the transition to Matt McKillop has not been seamless. The Wildcats are just 10-10 overall on the season, and 3-5 in Atlantic 10 league play following their seven-point victory on the road against lowly LaSalle on Tuesday night. While most programs take respite while playing at home, that is not the case for this Davidson team as they are just 4-4 straight up at home against division one opponents on the season. Against the spread, the Wildcats are the worst team in the Atlantic Ten while playing at home, covering in just two of their eight games at home and underperforming the number by -4.3 points per contest.

While Coach McKillop’s group has covered three consecutive contests, their recent competition is not on the same level as this Saint Louis team. The Billikens should win this game on the road, and if you think they can win, you better believe that they can cover a spread of a single point.

Buffalo Bulls at Kent State Golden Flashes (-11.5)

This might be the most obvious choice on the entire slate which is why it feels a bit dangerous. However, the Golden Flashes just took a rough hit on the road when they feel to a Northern Illinois team that is simply not good. Rob Senderoff’s club now returns home and likely looking to prove that they were worthy of top-25 consideration.

The Flashes will have their opportunity within the friendly confines on Friday evening. This Buffalo team is one of the worst teams in the Mid-American Conference against the spread on the road this season. The Bulls are just 2-3-1 ATS in true road games this season though their performance against the number is exactly even. Their margin of victory number is telling, however at -8.8.

Meanwhile, Kent State is the best team in the MAC against the spread at home on the season at 6-1. The Golden Flashes are outperforming the number by an impressive +5.6 points per contest at home with a massive margin of victory of +21.6 points per game. This is a fantastic opportunity for the Flashes to “get right.”